Philanthropy highlights blog

The Rise of Local Philanthropy | 4TH SPACE

Join film director and producer Josie Fomé and Jacqueline Asiimwe, CEO of CivSource Africa, for an insightful conversation following the screening of The Rise of Local Philanthropy. This powerful documentary delves into the experiences of communities in Kampala, Uganda, when international aid organizations withdrew at the height of the pandemic, leaving many Ugandans without critical support. Despite this, local organizations rose to the challenge, filling the gap and providing essential aid. Watch the film and discover their inspiring story.

The film is available here: The Rise of Local Philanthropy

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Ednah Rebeccah
Localisation: Just another civil society buzzword?

CivLegacy Foundation's recent study explores the impact of the localisation agenda on global development, highlighting challenges like funding imbalances and structural power issues that local organisations face. The report emphasizes the need for a collaborative, community-centered approach that prioritizes direct funding and local-led solutions.

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Ednah Rebeccah
#ShiftThePower Global Summit | A collective goal & a bond in diversity. (Bogota, Colombia)

What started off as a convening to facilitate conversation within a community that dreamed of philanthropy and development done better has since birthed a movement. This movement saw multitudes of development practitioners, philanthropy support organisations, non-profits, grassroots organisations, funders, academia and more converge in Bogota to collectively celebrate the milestones achieved so far, strategize for the future and form connections to further advance the shift in the development system.  The Global Fund for Community Foundations convened the #ShiftThePower Global Summit, a gathering that was highly diverse and largely attended by participants from all over the world and different corners of the philanthropy and development space.

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Ednah Rebeccah
We need to talk about the D word | #DecolonisingPhilanthropy

WINGS' 2023 Forum featured a highly anticipated session, 'Decolonising Philanthropy: A Global South Exploration,'. The session delved into the intricacies of decolonization, offering insightful perspectives from practitioners in Brazil, Uganda, Ghana, and Mexico. Addressing systemic imbalances in philanthropy, participants challenged established notions and advocated for introspection. The conversation explored colonial actions in the sector and proposed strategies for decolonization, unveiling tough truths about outdated dynamics. Beyond issues of White supremacy, the dialogue encompassed challenges within African collaborations and the need for a mindset shift among funders from the Global North. The forum called for a reassessment of aid flow, philanthropic narratives, and the role of intermediaries. Emphasizing the importance of embracing discomfort, the session encouraged a focus on transformation in day-to-day practices. This compelling discussion at WINGSForum 2023 aimed to inspire funders to genuinely embody transformation.

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Ednah Rebeccah
Breaking Stigmas, Building Futures through Acts of Generosity: Giving Tuesday 2023 Celebration in Uganda

 

November 28, 2023, marked a momentous day as Uganda joyfully participated in the worldwide observance of Giving Tuesday. Embracing the profound concept that is both simple and impactful, the essence was clear: a collective commitment to contribute skills, time, talent, and treasure to causes that resonate deeply. Guided by the empowering theme #LeavetoGive, individuals stepped away from their daily pursuits to embark on a journey of giving, amplifying the spirit of generosity and communal support.

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Ednah Rebeccah
Slum Life Survival Fundraising Dinner

Slum Life Survival (SLS) is a non-government organization committed to making a difference in the lives of slum dwellers by empowering youth, children, and women. Slum Life Survival interfaces with the people living in slums by engaging them in projects that focus on economic development, provision of clean water, and sanitation, improving healthcare facilities, and advocating for equitable urban Policies. All this work has been transformed into impactful stories.

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Ivan Muguya
Gathering of Givers 2023. Beyond Profit_Businesses Driving Social Change

Friday 29th September 2023 marked the 4th convening of the Gathering of Givers (GoG) hosted at Mestil Hotel Kampala in Uganda by CivSource Africa. The Gathering of Givers is a colorful event that brings together different people of the world, united by the spirit of Philanthropy. This year’s Gathering of Givers was themed; Beyond Profit: Businesses Driving Social Change.

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Ivan Muguya
Reflections From the 8th East Africa Philanthropy Conference 2023: Catalysing collective Action for Systems Transformation

The 8th East Africa Philanthropy Conference in 2023, themed ‘Systems Transformation: Catalyzing Collective Action’, was convened from June 28th to June 30th in Zanzibar, Tanzania. This gathering united local charitable trusts, foundations, and not-for-profit organizations, both from within and beyond the African continent. The conference aimed to foster collaboration, explore systems transformation, co-create solutions for collective philanthropic action, inspire innovations, and share best practices within the international development sector.

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Ivan Muguya
Enjuba Spelling Bee: Bridging Gaps and Fostering Corporate Giving

Despite achieving nearly 100% school enrollment in Uganda, there remains a significant challenge—approximately 60% of enrolled children do not complete primary school. Even more alarming, over 83% of children aged 10 and under in Uganda cannot read and comprehend what they read, a situation classified by the World Bank as ‘learning poor’.

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Ivan Muguya
Looking in the mirror: Personal reflections on decolonizing aid

We once had a conversation with our colleagues that drifted into the decolonization movement and how we as Africans are perceived; our style of dressing, how we wear our hair, and how our languages are influenced by colonialism and more recently, pop culture trends. While referring to one of our female colleagues who was wearing an African print shirt and has short, close-cropped natural hair, there was a shared perspective within the group that more “enlightened Pan-Africans” tend to wear “traditional” African print clothes and natural hair as a resistance to Western styles that have come to represent a stereotypical version of professionalism. 

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Ivan Muguya
Community-led Development with MOTT and CivSource Africa: A Focus on Community Foundations.

CivSource Africa has for the past year walked the journey of researching, activating, and enabling community philanthropy through a philanthropic vehicle known as a community foundation. Community Foundations are designed to pool donations and resources into a coordinated investment and grant making facility dedicated primarily to serving the development and social needs of people and groups in a given locality. This model is relevant even more in this day and age as we shift the power back to communities, that are well-able and knowledgeable about their needs and can garner resources from within and without to address these needs.

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Ivan Muguya
Fostering Collaborative Philanthropy: Porticus Kenya and CivSource Africa Connect.

On 26th July 2023, Porticus Kenya paid CivSource Africa a visit. Porticus Kenya is a part of global philanthropic organization which operates with a mission to strengthen the resilience of communities and empower individuals to take charge of their destinies. CivSource Africa, on the other hand, is an independent advisory organization which seeks to refine the practice and footprint of philanthropy in Africa through authentic civic engagement and stewardship of entrusted resources.

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Ivan Muguya
Young women shaping philanthropy through debate

Strategic conversations have been a core aspect of how we refine the practice of philanthropy in Uganda. It is in these conversations that statistics are reduced to narratives; compelling stories that ignite action and enable us address the challenges premised in the field of philanthropy and civil society.

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Ivan Muguya
Decolonizing Aid – Women’s rights and women-led organizations

Moky Makura once said, "If you want real impact, giving shouldn't start with what is best for the giver, but it so frequently does." Unfortunately, this sentiment is all too common in the world of philanthropy, particularly regarding aid for Africa.

At CivSource Africa, our mission is to refine the practice of philanthropy and civil society's impact in Africa. In order to do so, we must first reflect on how philanthropy has been done in the past.

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Ivan Muguya
HARNESSING THE POWER OF COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY

A VISIT FROM THE CS MOTT FOUNDATION

While building a body of knowledge on African philanthropy in Uganda, CivSource Africa undertook its maiden research on the landscape of local philanthropy in Uganda. The study presented evidence of community foundations in Uganda. It was found that there was no database of community foundations, their functionality remained unclear and there was a research gap on these institutions.

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Ivan Muguya